Explainer | US election: how Trump and Biden compare on China

With the American presidential election just days away, the two candidates continue to clash on their policy approaches towards the world’s most populous country

Trump has often taken an anti-Beijing stance, while Biden has said Russia is the biggest threat to America

Reading Time:3 minutes

Donald Trump and Joe Biden have differing views on China. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 12:00pm, 1 Nov 2020Updated: 12:00pm, 1 Nov 2020

Ahead of the election next week, US President Donald Trump and his opponent, former vice-president Joe Biden, have clashed on their policy approaches towards China.

Here is what the two candidates have had to say in recent weeks.

Is China the biggest foreign threat to the US?

Trump certainly thinks so. In an interview with CBS’ 60 Minutes programme, the president described China as a “foe in many ways”, a “competitor” and accused it of having allowed the coronavirus outbreak to become a global pandemic.

Trump has frequently targeted China during his re-election bid, as he did during his successful campaign in 2016, in particular by trying to shift the blame for America’s coronavirus woes on to Beijing.

In contrast, Biden told 60 Minutes he believed the “biggest threat to America right now in terms of breaking up our security and alliances” was Russia. China was the US’ “biggest competitor” and that depending how the relationship was handled, it would determine whether the two would be in a “more serious competition relating to force”.

The US presidential race will be decided this week. Photo: AFP